Boulder's firearms ordinance needs reconsideration. It is based on an emotional response and not on whether it can have any real impact on mass shootings or school protection. It has the potential for significant negative impact on law-abiding citizens who have done no wrong but chose to own firearms of an action type that has been around for hundreds of years. Blame for mass shooting is being placed on ill-defined firearms rather than on those who misuse them. Do we blame certain cars for death or injury from drunk drivers? No. Are our schools or mass gatherings safe? A recent Channel 9 investigative report cited statistics that children are 686 times more likely to be injured or killed in auto accidents than school shootings. "We must do something!" Yes, but what? Seventy-eight percent of the most recent mass school shootings involved a current or former student. All but three had obvious warning signs. Instead of blaming an object and impacting innocent people we should take actions to improve the acceptance of "OK-to-tell" programs. Encourage family and friends who witness warning signs to get the person help and of assuring personally owned firearms are not available to them. The proposed ordinance potentially impacts law-abiding citizens with seizure or confiscation if they don't register their firearms. It is rather obvious that those who would comply with registration requirements are probably the least likely to commit mass shooting.

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History tells us that registration has the potential of leading to confiscation. The historical example is Hitler, and more recently Australia. And even more recent examples are hurricane disasters or riots where government (law enforcement) is unable to protect the citizens and even worse is when they confiscate firearms from the citizens they can't protect resulting in leaving citizens unable to protect themselves.

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